§ Mr. Sharpasked the Minister of Supply what price is paid by his Department for commercial scrap iron and steel imported from the British zone of Germany; at what price this is sold to the iron and steel trade; and to what extent losses have so far been incurred by his Department as a result of such transactions.
§ Mr. G. R. StraussThe average price paid to the Control Commission is £3 a ton f.a.s. German port. Sea transport and other incidental charges average nearly 50s. a ton. The average realised price (delivered works) in the United Kingdom for all German scrap (i.e. booty and battle scrap as well as commercial scrap) is £3.7 a ton. There is164W thus a deficit on sales of commercial scrap, which is offset by profits on the other scrap from Germany for which nothing is paid. On the basis of the tonnages purchased in the period up to the end of September, 1947, the estimated net deficiency will be about £219,000. The final account will, of course, depend upon the relative tonnages of commercial and other scrap purchased from Germany.